— Fri, 13th March 2009 —

Men’s wear has matured greatly in recent years, moving — we think — in all the right directions. And, while we could never single out one label — given their disparate visions and financial resources — as the “best,” we think it’s useful to narrow the field every season to one brand that we’d shop if, God forbid, we had to shop just one.

And, thanks to a steady stream of shrewd collaborations, vastly improved manufacturing techniques, and a meticulously coherent vision — for the second season in a row — that brand is J.Crew.* Not fiercely forward thinking… but who wants to walk around in something fiercely forward thinking? Not what we want to be buried in… just what we’d prefer to wear every day until then. No, these clothes don’t dramatically set you apart from the crowd… they just help you look as though you belong to a pretty smart and select category of men.

(*Note*: On sale, there are several brands that could potentially beat out J.Crew for the top spot this season, but we’re calculating their overall worth at retail.)